Clifton Hill Antique Costume & Textiles

A short walk from the Clifton Triangle can take you to a veritable treasure trove of antique, vintage and retro garments, hats, accessories, textiles and haberdashery that never ceases to surprise even the most seasoned of visitor.

Originally owned by the eponymous Gillian Holder, the heart and soul behind the store before she passed away in early 2011, Jenny Ford now looks after this wonderful place.  She’s written a beautiful blog about working with Gillian and how she’s reviving the costume shop and its collections.  You’ll learn how originally working there part-time and through the process of arranging and rotating stock, going through rail upon rail and unpacking boxes of fabric, she heard the varied stories behind the contents and acquired that elusive skill in helping each and every customer find just what they were looking for, even if they didn’t know it.

In addition, Jenny set up a Facebook page to document the amazing vintage and retro items she came across in the shop, with good friend Ibolya Feher providing the beautiful photography that really captures the feel of the building and its contents.

To continue Gillian's legacy and her passion was the start of many ideas and much excitement for Jenny as well as the many people she met met during her time at the shop and previous customers now talented designers!  After a lot of work tackling the mountain of beautiful vintage stock, both on display and in storage (filling six rooms over two floors) and rescuing whatever she could, Jenny has found surprises at every step including gorgeous pieces of vintage lingerie, war time safari shorts and even a pair of early machine-knit gloves.  The collection she’s looking after is amazing and she’s still finding hidden gems.

She’s going to blog about some of the favourite collections she’s found so far, so do follow her on the next stage of her journey with Clifton Hill Antique Costume & Textiles.  Until the store opens this summer you can catch Jenny at regular vintage markets and by appointment, but why not come and meet her at our Fair.  She’s taking time off from cataloguing these delights to present some gorgeous dresses to give you a taste of what’s available.  There’ll be vintage lingerie, nightwear and an unbelievable array of items for dressing up, available to hire.  Don’t miss this.  It’s a chance to see history.